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Mountain News: Ibuprofen can help altitude effects

Medication reduced attitude sickness symptoms by 26 per cent
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High altitude climbers like John Furneaux, pictured here on Mt. Everest, are learning about the advantages of climbing with Ibuprofen.

PALO ALTO, Calif. — A study has found that Ibuprofen can reduce the incidence of acute mountain sickness, which occurs in more than 25 per cent of people who travel to higher altitudes each year.

Grant Lipman, the Stanford University researcher who led the study, told the Washington Post that altitude sickness is like a "really nasty hangover."

Symptoms include headache fatigue, dizziness, nausea, vomitting and poor appetite.

In the study of 58 men and 28 women, Ibuprofen reduced attitude sickness symptoms by 26 per cent.

The volunteers needed to be healthy enough to hike at high elevations, but were not elite climbers. In summer of 2010, they were taken from near sea level to the White Mountains, northeast of Bishop, Calif., where they spent the night at 1,250 metres.

In the morning, they were given 600 milligrams of Ibuprofen or a placebo before heading up the mountain to a staging area at 3,500 metres. They were given a second dose at 2 p.m. before hiking up three more miles to an elevation of 3,800 metres, where they received a third dose before spending the night on the mountain.

According to study results published in the March issue of the Annals of Emergency Medicine, 43 per cent of those who took Ibuprofen developed acute mountain sickness, compared to 69 per cent of those who were given the placebo. The severity of symptoms was also higher for those who received placebos.

Two drugs, acetazolamide and dexamethasone, are currently approved to prevent and treat the condition. But they are prescription only and carry a risk of side effects. Dr. Robert Roach, director of the Altitude Research Center at the University of Colorado-Denver School of Medicine, said many doctors are reluctant to prescribe the two drugs unless a person has experienced altitude sickness before.

Ibuprofen appears to be nearly as effective as acetazolamide and dexamethasone, so it may be an option for people travelling to high altitude who don't yet know if they're susceptible, Roach told the Washington Post.

He said that 20 to 30 per cent of people will experience sickness at 2,100 metres, and up to 50 per cent will get sick at 3,000 metres.

Riders reminded to mind their manners

WHITEFISH, Mont. — Ski area representatives at Whitefish Mountain Resort are using the word "irritated" and promising to seize season passes, at the very least, if they find people violating closures.

Their ire was precipitated by several close calls of people skiing in areas where avalanche control work was being done or on slopes where winch cats were being used.

"With a winch cat, there is a cable out there that could kill a person, said resort spokeswoman Riley Polumbus. "When it's dark, skiers don't know where these cables are, and our groomers don't expect to see a skier or hiker out there."

Whitefish two years ago instituted a policy that allowed uphill climbers at the resort but restricted them to certain locations. The intent, explains the Whitefish Pilot, was to create a buffer between skiers, and groomers and patrollers.

Ski tracks were also found going into steep, double-black diamond slopes where patrollers were getting ready to do avalanche control. Another morning, nearly 80 skiers had entered an area where patrollers were still using avalanche explosives.

"There are closures for a reason. Respect them," said Polumbus. "We have 3,000 acres up there. Go ski something that is open."

Greenhouse emissions to be inventoried

ASPEN, Colo. — Continuing on the path on which it embarked in 2005, Aspen is getting ready to inventory the greenhouse gas emissions caused by the municipality, its residents, and its visitors.

The Canary Initiative, created to address climate change, seeks to cut emissions 30 per cent by 2020 and 80 per cent by 2050. The baseline is 2004.

From 2004 to 2007, Aspen succeeded in knocking down its greenhouse gas emissions by 8.25 per cent. Most of this gain was achieved by the city utility purchasing wind-generated electricity instead of electricity created by burning coal. But actual consumption of electricity rose 9.8 per cent.

That first period was a boom. This last period will reflect changes during the recession.

The 2007 study found that aviation is responsible for 36 per cent of Aspen's emissions and ground transportation 27 per cent. However, unlike those at Park City and elsewhere, Aspen chose to include both the comings and goings of travelers.

Breck's biggest house 15,000 sq. ft.

BRECKENRIDGE, Colo. — Work has begun on a 15,000-square-foot house in Breckenridge, the town's largest ever. The Summit Daily News explains that the project will employ 100 to 150 construction workers and will include a two-lane bowling alley and separate rooms devoted to Alpine and Nordic skiing gear. The owner chose Breckenridge over other resort communities in Colorado because of its proximity to Denver and access to the cross-country ski trails adjacent to the house.

Cougars on the mind

CANMORE, Alberta — Cougars have been much on the mind of those in the Canadian Rockies during March.

A cougar, also called a mountain lion or puma, attacked a man's dog as he was out walking one evening early in March in Canmore. Later, a cougar was killed by a Canadian Pacific train. Tracks were also reported in the town.

On the west side of the Continental Divide, visitors to the Radium Hot Springs had a first-hand glimpse of prey and predator. A mountain lion attacked a yearling bighorn sheep on the cliffs above the hot springs. Both fell about11 metres. The cougar fled, and the bighorn sheep, suffering a broken leg in the fall and other injuries in the attack, was killed by a wildlife officer.

Wolves kill dogs

JACKSON, Wyo. — Wolves have killed or injured four dogs in Teton County. The dogs were missing from the Blackrock Ranger Station, located about a half-hour north of Jackson.

The killings came even as residents and wildlife managers worked to come to grips with the predators expanding their territory and moving closer to humans, reported the Jackson Hole News&Guide. In another incident, wolves close to Jackson attacked a dog recently, and other wolves have been seen in a local suburb.

The News&Guide also talked with a variety of people, who had different thoughts. Chris Colligan, from the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, said residents needed to adapt to wolves, the same way they have grizzly bears. Possible solutions are to keep dogs on a leash, to keep them contained, and to secure pet foods.

But the owner of the dogs that were recently killed said he believes some things need to change. "You have to let people protect their personal property," he said.

Walter Isaacson helps create digital school

ASPEN, Colo. — Walter Isaacson, who wrote the biography of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs and at one time was editor of Time magazine, has teamed up with Colorado Mountain College to offer a program to teach digital media and production skills. It is to be called the Isaacson School for New Media at Colorado Mountain College.

Classes will be offered at Aspen, Carbondale and Glenwood Springs, although not at the college's campuses in the Vail, Breckenridge and Leadville areas.

The Aspen Daily News says that the intent is to make the Roaring Fork Valley a leader in digital and mobile technology, what one official called a "digital valley." "We want to be on the cutting edge," said Stan Jensen, president of the college.

Record March temperatures

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colo. — Steamboat was short on powder, long on heat in March. The temperature hit 21 degrees Celcius last week, breaking the old record of 17.

The Steamboat Pilot & Today chatted with two local skiers who were wearing tank tops. "We've been doing this for two weeks now," said Kristi Richardson.

The newspaper also reported that grooming crews have been moving snow around on the ski hill to cover bare spots, but without complete success. One run had been closed because rocks on the run are exposed.

"It's been a challenging winter, so I don't know why that should stop," said Doug Allen, the vice president of mountain operations.

Joe Ramey, a forecaster with the National Weather Service, agreed that the weather was extreme, but said he'd come to learn that every year is extreme in its own way.

Jackson officials to nudge on plastic bags

JACKSON, Wyo. — With some dissent, Jackson town officials have chosen to try the soft path of persuasion in regards to plastic bags.

At least one councilor wanted an all-out ban, and another councilor favored moving toward a nickel-a-bag fee. But majority opinion on the council, reports the Jackson Hole News&Guide, will be to use promotional materials to encourage recycling of bags or conversion to reusable bags. That's the same approach taken in an effort to limit idling of vehicles.

The council, says the newspaper, heard from only two residents. One of them objected to "people from California coming in and telling us what to do." Further, said the speaker, plastic bags are like a gun. "They never killed anybody. It's the people handling them."